1988, chapter 4
For the rest of the summer vacation Maria hung out with Billie Joe and Mike mostly listening to them practise or listening to old records and tapes. She still had contact with Tre mostly every Friday and Saturday night at Gilman, It was Maria's job of dispensing flyers advertising the bands playing. This Friday was extra special since Maria and well obviously Tre being good friends with Laurence Livermore had told him to go and listen to 'Sweet Children' play at 'Rod's Hickory Pit'. He had thought they had real talent and was letting them have a try at playing at Gilman. 'Sweet Children' would be starting off for 'The Lookouts' and boy was Billie Joe excited
"Maria, this is the best thing to ever happen! Finally we're playing some where else other than 'Rod's fucking Hickory Pit' and even better is that us, 'Sweet Children' are playing at 924 Gilman"
"It wasn't me; L.L. thinks you guys have some talent in there! Hey wanna see the flyer?"
"Of course Maria!" She pulled out a bunch of papers from her bag and handed Billie Joe the top one, it read:
FRIDAY
$5 ALL AGES 8PM
924 GILMAN
'The Lookouts'
'Sweet Children'
NO DRUGS BOOZE VIOLENCE
"Wow Maria it actually says 'Sweet Children!"
"Yeah I know it's pretty cool" she smiled "hey I better go and dispense these"
"Can I help?"
"Sure, I can use the company" Billie Joe smiled
"Well I can do that". The pair walked around to shops, power poles and phone booths taking down the old flyers and sticking up the new ones. After an hour they had finished
"Thanks for helping me Bill"
"No probs you got us to play at Gilman"
"I told you Laurence Livermore thinks you guys are good"
"Seriously?" Billie Joe asked and Maria nodded. They continued talking until they reached Maria's front yard "well see you tomorrow"
"Actually tomorrow night, Tre wants me to spend the day; I haven't in a while so I said yes, so yeah I'll see you at Gilman"
"Ok" he felt his feelings being crushed but he smiled. She turned and walked inside. He headed home to the garage and once again sunk down into the sofa. His mum walked in
"Bill, there's some leftovers from today in the kitchen and Mike left about an hour ago on a date"
"Kay Mum". She walked out leaving Billie Joe once again alone by himself. He lay there once again thinking of Maria, she'd been on his mind for nearly 2 months now.
He picked up 'Blue' and started to sing and strum whatever came into his head "I wish I could tell you, But the words would come out wrong" he sat up and searched for his notebook, and quickly wrote the verse down. He picked 'Blue' up again and thought of the next line "Oh if you only knew, the way I felt for so long" he wrote that down too. "I know that we're worlds apart, But I don't seem to care, these feelings in my heart, Only with you I want to share" He looked over at Maria's house where he first saw her "The first time I caught a glimpse of you, Then all my thoughts were only of you" He dropped his pen "god, this sounds so cheesy" and picked up his pen "I hope that when time goes by, You will think the same about me" he stopped "Mike and Al are gonna take the shit outta me for this song" he whispered, his stomach groaned and he walked to the kitchen.
That night he still couldn't get Maria out of his head, he lay awake, Just like every other night, He really wanted to ask her out. Billie Joe quickly sat up and searched for his notebook "Many nights awake I lie, I only wish that you could see, I know that were only friends, I hope this felling never ends, If I could only hold you, It's the only thing I want to do" he laid back down and sat the notebook down next to his bed. He lay there for another hour. Staring at the ceiling and finally fell asleep.
"Maria, this is the best thing to ever happen! Finally we're playing some where else other than 'Rod's fucking Hickory Pit' and even better is that us, 'Sweet Children' are playing at 924 Gilman"
"It wasn't me; L.L. thinks you guys have some talent in there! Hey wanna see the flyer?"
"Of course Maria!" She pulled out a bunch of papers from her bag and handed Billie Joe the top one, it read:
FRIDAY
$5 ALL AGES 8PM
924 GILMAN
'The Lookouts'
'Sweet Children'
NO DRUGS BOOZE VIOLENCE
"Wow Maria it actually says 'Sweet Children!"
"Yeah I know it's pretty cool" she smiled "hey I better go and dispense these"
"Can I help?"
"Sure, I can use the company" Billie Joe smiled
"Well I can do that". The pair walked around to shops, power poles and phone booths taking down the old flyers and sticking up the new ones. After an hour they had finished
"Thanks for helping me Bill"
"No probs you got us to play at Gilman"
"I told you Laurence Livermore thinks you guys are good"
"Seriously?" Billie Joe asked and Maria nodded. They continued talking until they reached Maria's front yard "well see you tomorrow"
"Actually tomorrow night, Tre wants me to spend the day; I haven't in a while so I said yes, so yeah I'll see you at Gilman"
"Ok" he felt his feelings being crushed but he smiled. She turned and walked inside. He headed home to the garage and once again sunk down into the sofa. His mum walked in
"Bill, there's some leftovers from today in the kitchen and Mike left about an hour ago on a date"
"Kay Mum". She walked out leaving Billie Joe once again alone by himself. He lay there once again thinking of Maria, she'd been on his mind for nearly 2 months now.
He picked up 'Blue' and started to sing and strum whatever came into his head "I wish I could tell you, But the words would come out wrong" he sat up and searched for his notebook, and quickly wrote the verse down. He picked 'Blue' up again and thought of the next line "Oh if you only knew, the way I felt for so long" he wrote that down too. "I know that we're worlds apart, But I don't seem to care, these feelings in my heart, Only with you I want to share" He looked over at Maria's house where he first saw her "The first time I caught a glimpse of you, Then all my thoughts were only of you" He dropped his pen "god, this sounds so cheesy" and picked up his pen "I hope that when time goes by, You will think the same about me" he stopped "Mike and Al are gonna take the shit outta me for this song" he whispered, his stomach groaned and he walked to the kitchen.
That night he still couldn't get Maria out of his head, he lay awake, Just like every other night, He really wanted to ask her out. Billie Joe quickly sat up and searched for his notebook "Many nights awake I lie, I only wish that you could see, I know that were only friends, I hope this felling never ends, If I could only hold you, It's the only thing I want to do" he laid back down and sat the notebook down next to his bed. He lay there for another hour. Staring at the ceiling and finally fell asleep.
